Boise, ID Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Max EMD brightness (day)
- 5,000 nits
- Max EMD brightness (dusk-dawn)
- 500 nits
- Frame change interval
- no faster than every 8 seconds
- Lighting trespass
- prohibited onto adjacent properties
- Approval required
- Conditional Use Permit
Summary
Boise caps electronic billboard brightness at 5,000 nits and requires sign lighting not trespass onto neighboring properties.
(d) That sign lighting will not trespass onto adjacent properties. ... (i) Electronic message displays are allowed with static frame effects that change with no transition - no more frequently than every 8 seconds. Brightness levels shall comply with Section 11-04-012.7.A(5)(b)vi. ... The brightness or intensity of the EMD shall be factory set not to exceed 5,000 nits on clear days and 500 nits from dawn to dusk.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-31: Code current through: Ord. 20-26, passed 6-9-2026).
Full Breakdown
Boise's development code treats billboards as off-premise signs allowed only by Conditional Use Permit in the MX-2, MX-3, I-1, and I-2 districts. The Planning and Zoning Commission must find that a billboard's lighting will not trespass onto adjacent properties before approving it. Electronic message displays on billboards are limited to static frames changing no more than every 8 seconds, and brightness must comply with the citywide EMD standard: factory-set to a maximum of 5,000 nits on clear days and 500 nits from dawn to dusk, with a light-sensing meter that automatically dims the display as ambient light changes.
Violations & Fines
Sign permit and Conditional Use Permit denial or revocation for noncompliant billboard lighting; enforcement runs through Boise's Planning and Development Services under the Development Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Boise billboard use a bright LED display at any time of day?
Does billboard lighting have to stay on the property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boise
Compare Boise to another location·View the Idaho outdoor lighting overview
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